In 2007, when Sochi was selected to host the Games, Russian President Vladimir Putin guaranteed that they would be a ‘safe, enjoyable and memorable experience’. The Games are very much President Putin’s personal project, designed to showcase the new Russia that has emerged under his leadership over the past decade. However, the Sochi Games have also long been viewed in …
Read More »Chechnya and the Politics of Sochi Olympics
“They plan to hold the Olympics on the bones of our ancestors, on the bones of many, many Muslims buried on our land by the Black Sea. As Mujahideen we are required not to permit that, using any methods that Allah allows us,” said Dokku Umarov, the self-styled ‘Emir of the Caucasus’. That he was playing no games with …
Read More »